For you
by Katie-The Dark Angel
Summary: A Storm Hawk crashes and a few days later, the Cyclonians attack a terra called Pax. The remaining Storm Hawks go with Starling on a rescue mission but it doesn't go as planned... AerrowxPiper pairing
1. Chapter 1

Just so you know, this story happens two or three years after 'The age of heroes' so the Storm Hawks are somewhere between 16 and 17 years old. Enjoy...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks

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Another distress call, another fight, another victory. However, none of the Storm Hawks feels victorious. As the sun's last beams disappear at the horizon the five Storm Hawks sit around the table at the bridge in silence, knowing there is nothing they can say or do that could possibly change what happened. The Condor had been put on autopilot and now floats slowly right above the cloud line and takes them away from the place where she crashed. The moon is the only thing that lights up the dusky room and allows them to see each other's faces reflecting their own emotions. Few more minutes pass and then the young Sky Knight can't take it anymore. Without a word, he stands up and walks to the window. As he stares at the full moon, with his eyes full of sorrow, he lets his mind go through the day's fight.

_FLASHBACK_

"The Cyclonians are coming!"

"Again? Have they never heard of a break?"

"Stork, you fly the ship. The rest of you come with me."

The three Storm Hawks followed their leader and his co-pilot out of the bridge and into the hanger, leaving the merb alone at the Condor's controls. They jumped on their rides and took off out of the hanger and into the sky. Aerrow flew towards the Dark Ace and let his squadron fight the other Talons. So far, everything was going as it always did when they fought the Cyclonians. And like always, they won. But as they cheered, they failed to notice the Dark Ace as he turned around for one last shot. The red, glowing shot headed straight towards the Storm Hawks and all but one was able to dodge it. It hit her heliscooter and the girl hung on it for dear life as she lost control of it. Time seemed to stand still as the three boys stared at the damaged heliscooter drag the girl with it trough the clouds below and out of sight.

"Piper, no!"

Aerrow raced trough the clouds, his two friends followed and they scanned the wastelands for their navigator - for their friend. Hours passed without any sight of neither her nor her ride, and feeling hopeless, the Sky Knight lands in the middle of the wastelands, near the place he swore he saw his friend fall towards. His heart ached as he continued to convince himself that she was still alright, but as time had passed his hope had faded. He rode slowly around the wastelands without caring where he headed.

"Aerrow... you should come see this."

Finn's low voice on the radio made the red-haired boy afraid and he sped towards his friend's direction. When he stopped his ride next to Finn's and Junko's the two boys greeted him with so much worry and sadness in their eyes that he knew he wouldn't like what they were about to show him. They quietly led him to a big rock and around it and his heart skipped a beat or two at the sight in front of him. Piper's heliscooter was completely destroyed and pieces from it lied scattered around it.

"This is all we found... We haven't seen her anywhere but... judging from the heliscooter..."

Finn trailed off, unwilling to even think that but knowing that no one could survive a fall like that. He stared down at the dirt and moved it back and forth with his foot, feeling worse than he believed was possible. A light coloured thing lied underneath the dirt and he bent down and picked it up, realizing it was his friend's crystal necklace.

"Umm, I think we should go now. Come on, Aerrow, I'm sure she's fine. She probably found a way out off here, just like in the storm few years ago. That's why we haven't found her yet."

Junko almost succeeded to raise his friend's hope a bit but Finn's next words ruined that completely. He walked to his two friends and held up the necklace so they could see it.

"I... I found this lying on the ground..."

His voice was only a whisper but they heard every word. Aerrow's eyes widened as he stared at the crystal and all hope he had left vanished. He grabbed it and held it tightly as he turned around and walked away.

"You're right. We should go back."

_END FLASHBACK_

He hits the window hard enough for it to hurt a bit, but not hard enough to break it. Behind him, the other Storm Hawks look at each other before quietly leaving the room, allowing him some time alone. He hits the window again, now with both hands, and shouts at the moon outside.

"Why!? Why her? It should've been me! He aimed for me!"

He falls down on his knees as he puts his hand into his pocket and draws out the crystal necklace.

"It should've been me," he whispers, staring at the light-coloured crystal.

Silent tears begin to run slowly down his cheeks and he does nothing to dry them. He stands up and puts the necklace back into his pocket, feeling like everything is somehow his fault. As he looks back at the night sky he sees a shooting star and makes a silent wish and shortly after, a promise.

'_I wish I could see you again. I never got the chance to tell you exactly how much you mean to me, how much I love you. I promise we will win Cyclonia. We will win for you!'

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_

Wow, I still can't believe I did that to them...

Anyway, tell me what you think and if I should continue...


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second chapter, enjoy!

Oh, and I want to thank the four people who have rewiewed so far, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks nor the song _Keep holding on.__

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_

_The teen walks down the dark hallway with one blade drawn and activated, using it to light his way. As he walks further he hears a singing voice ahead of him, becoming a bit louder with every step he takes._

"_You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No I won't give in."_

_He turns around a corner and a bright light shines through a half opened door in front of him._

"_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."_

_He puts away his blade as he senses no danger and quietly walks towards the door. The voice is so clear and beautiful as it sings the song with a soft music in the background. _

"_So far away  
I wish you were here  
Before it's too late, this could all disappear  
Before the doors close  
And it comes to an end  
With you by my side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend  
Yeah, yeah."  
_

_Without touching the door, he peeks inside. A dark-haired girl slowly moves around the room to the music's beat, wearing a long and sleeveless navy-blue dress and with her hair down. Unable to move he watches her as she slowly moves in a circle, making her skirt lift up a bit and revealing her feet for a second._

_"Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."_

_He finally frees himself and runs into the room, dream or not he's happy to see her. She stops her dancing and turns to him. He stops right in front of her and she puts her hand comforting on his cheek as she continues the song._

_"Hear me when I say, when I say I believe  
__Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny  
__Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly  
__Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."_

_He grabs her hand and holds it tightly in his as he stares into her bright carnelian eyes._

"_I'm so sorry, Piper. It's all my fault. I..." He's cut off by her calm voice, the music still playing softly._

"_Don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could do."_

"_But he aimed for me. He should've hit me, not you."_

"_He aimed for you and he hit your heart, right?"_

_She makes the last word fade in with the music and draws her hand to her as she turns around and takes a step away from him. Desperate to make her stay he asks her the first thing he can think of._

"_Why couldn't we find you in the wastelands?"_

"_Because I'm not there" she answers matter-of-factly, her voice is low and hinted with sadness._

_He walks to her and puts his hands on her shoulders as his eyes meet hers._

"_Then where are you?"_

_Her only reply is a single tear, running down her face as she begins to slowly fade away._

"_Please tell me. I have to know. I have to find you!"_

_He stares at her as she disappears, taking the music and light with her. One last time he asks her to tell him where she is, shouting loudly, but his only answer is his own voice as it echoes on the walls around him. A red glow appears ten meters away and reveals a tall figure holding an activated blade. A victorious laugh comes from the man as he lifts up the blade and sends a shot at the boy, hitting him dead-on in the chest and sending him backwards into a wall...

* * *

_Aerrow opens his eyes but closes them again when he remembers the fight from the day before. He hates these moments more than anything. Just waking up after a dream about someone he lost and realizing that the person is really gone makes everything a whole lot worse. And this is not the first time this happens. Last time was some years ago, right after the Dark Ace had betrayed his father and the other Storm Hawks. Then he had dreams like this for almost a month. 

The hate for the Dark Ace fills his mind and he turns on his side to face his room as he opens his eyes. The Cyclonian had now taken two people away from him and the young Sky Knight is determined to not let him get away with that. Cyclonia will loose. Slowly, the teen sits up and picks up a framed photo off the bedside table. The hate is immediately replaced with sorrow and he feels the tears try to escape as he stares at the two ten-year-olds who smile happily back at him. The young Aerrow has his arm around his friend's shoulder and makes her stay close to him so they would both fit in the picture.

With a sigh he puts the frame back on the table and stands up. As he puts on his uniform he goes through his memories in his mind. No matter what, she had always been there for him. And of course, he had always been there for her. He picks up one of his blades and places it on his back. He had known her as long as he could remember and now that she's gone he finds it impossible to even think that there will be a future. He picks up the other blade but for a moment he's unable to move his hand. He just stares at it, remembering when he took out this same blade to free the Oracle. His hold on it tightens for a second before he throws it at the wall opposite to him. He had really believed that the future was better but now he isn't so sure. With an angry shout he quickly turns around and hits the wall hard with his fist.

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The shout reaches the kitchen where four half-asleep Storm Hawks sit and eat their breakfast. They all look at each other, worry joining the sadness in their now wide eyes. Aerrow is finally awake.

A moment later, Aerrow enters the kitchen. He can feel his friends' eyes following him as he walks over to a cabinet and opens it. Trying to simply shrug it off but failing, he closes the cabinet and grabs an apple from a bowl on his way out. Finn jumps off his chair and follows him. They walk in silence towards the hanger and don't stop until they reach the hanger's door. Without turning around, his eyes locked on the door, Aerrow asks the blond behind him:

"What is it, Finn?"

"I was just, uh, you know..." He rubs the back of his neck as he forces his mind to focus and takes a deep breath.

"...wondering if I'm okay, right?" Aerrow finishes for him with a sigh.

"Yeah..."

"Well, I am."

"You sure?"

The Sky Knight sighs again, knowing that his friend won't stop until he gets an honest answer.

"No... I don't know. I just never believed this could happen. I mean, we always came back okay. Of course I knew that every time we fought the Cyclonians we were taking a risk, but I never actually believed something bad would happen to one of us. And now, she's... We didn't even find her..."

'_Maybe if I hadn't moved out of the way she would still be here. Maybe if I hadn't hesitated I could have caught her. Maybe if__ I...'_

The Sky Knight's thoughts are interrupted by the other teen's question as he finally realizes the reason for his friend's reactions.

"You really liked her, didn't you?"

"No, Finn, I didn't" he says determined as he turns around and looks straight into his friend's eyes. "I loved her."

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Hmm... this chapter probably didn't come out the way it was supposed to, but I hope you like it. And yes, there is a reason why I chose that song. I'm not gonna tell you, at least not yet, but you'll probably figure it out anyway so maybe I won't have to...

Rewiew..!


	3. Chapter 3

The third chapter... finally.

It's a bit short but I just wanted to write something about the other characters... which kinda made me realize that there's isn't much about Radarr... :/ but he'll show up later, probably in the next chapter.

And thank you guys for the rewiews :D you're awesome. Oh, and those who have been wondering about Piper... well, I'm not gonna tell you, you'll just have to find out... enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks

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He stares at the sun as it slowly goes down behind the forest in front of the ship. He has no idea where they are, he just wanted to land somewhere that morning so they wouldn't accidentally fly into the Great Expanse or the Black Gorge again. His hold on the Condor's controls tightens a bit and he sighs quietly. He had stood there the whole day, not wanting to move from that spot, not even to face the room behind him. As long as he has his back to the room, he can imagine it's Piper that sits behind him, studying a chart or writing in her squadron log, instead of Junko who's... he's not even sure what Junko's doing. He closes his eyes tightly for a moment. He really misses the cheerful voice that always told him where to turn and where to land. He even misses the times when she accidentally got them lost or almost made him crash into a mountain because of small miscalculation. A sad smile appears on his face as her voice echoes in his mind; the last thing he ever heard her say.

'_Stork, turn left in a minute. We're almost there.'_

Behind him, Junko leans back in his seat, staring at the radio in his hands. It took the whole day but he's sure it's now as good as new. He turns it on and waits for something to happen, for someone to tell him they're help is needed. Or for Piper to tell him that she's alright. He doesn't tell the others but he hasn't lost all hope yet. He doesn't want to believe that one of them is dead, and he knows if he says something then they will only point out how impossible it was for her to survive. He puts the radio down on the table and lays his head on it as well, using his arms for a pillow. Once in a while he takes his eyes off the radio and looks at the sky, watching the stars appear. The Condor seems quieter than it normally is and he's pretty sure that everyone else has gone off to bed. Except for Stork, who still holds the controls tightly. The wallop lets out a silent sigh as he looks back at the radio, not noticing how hard it is for him to keep his eyes open. Soon he drifts off to sleep and doesn't even wake up when Stork leaves the room and heads to his own.

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Like I said before, it's a bit short... and probably could've been better. 

Anyway, I'm just gonna stop typing now... Rewiew ;)


	4. Chapter 4

The forth chapter, yay! And I remembered Radarr :D

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks.

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He doesn't move for a few minutes after he wakes up. He just lies there, curled up in a small ball and listens to the rain as it hits the window. He has no idea why, but it somehow calms him down. A hand seems to come out of nowhere and lands right next to him, startling him and making him open his eyes just in time to see Aerrow turn away from him, still fast asleep. A bit annoyed, he leaves the room and heads to the kitchen.

Only Junko is there, sitting at the table and staring at the radio he fixed the day before. He puts his elbow on the table and rests his head in his hand. Nothing had happened, no one had asked for help... and Piper hadn't contacted either. If it weren't for the little glowing light, he would think it wasn't even on. He looks towards the door when Radarr enters the room and smiles slightly to the little creature.

"Um, guys. You might want to come to the bridge. I think Starling's coming."

Stork's voice echoes a bit in the empty hallways as he speaks through the Condor's indoor communication system. Slowly, he turns the alarms off and then lets his arm hang at his side; the other holding the controls. In front of him, Starling flies closer and lands on the runway just as the rest of the team walks in behind him. Finn and Junko quietly sit down on the sofa and Radarr soon joins them, but Aerrow stays close to the door he just came through.

They all know why she's there. She's on a mission.

Starling walks slowly from the hangar and towards the bridge. The moment she enters the room she knows that something's wrong. The usually smiling Storm Hawks stare towards her, their eyes giving away the sadness they feel. She tries to simply shrug it off as she walks in but the feeling won't leave her. She looks at Aerrow, hoping for an answer but he doesn't seem to notice her. He's completely lost in his own thoughts. She stops when she reaches the table, her eyes still locked on the Sky Knight, and she keeps her voice determined as she announces to them:

"I'm on a mission and I need some help."

Her words are enough to snap him out of it and he motions for her to continue. She nods slightly and looks at the other team members, finding it odd that one of them is not there.

"The Cyclonians just attacked a peaceful terra, called Pax, and kidnapped a few people. They're now on their way with them to Cyclonia but they won't get all the way without stopping somewhere to refuel. We'll free them there. I've been thinking about how to do that and I need Piper to help me make the plan flawless. Where is she?"

Every pair of eyes look at the red-haired teen, who had turned his attention to the floor when the older Sky Knight said Piper's name.

"Aerrow?"

Her worried voice makes him look straight into her eyes and he tries to keep his own voice from trembling as he answers her.

"I don't know. She crashed two days ago but we couldn't find her..."

He looks away and walks towards the window. Those words only make it more real to him - too real. But he's not going to show it. A Sky Knight can't show a weakness, especially not when he's on a mission. And this mission is not going to fail.

'_I gave __you a promise. We will do this for you.'_

He takes a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart down and asks her, but does not turn around yet.

"So, what's the plan?"

She just stares at his back, unable to answer his question. She couldn't believe it. A Storm Hawk is missing, possibly gone. This couldn't be happening. With a whisper she repeats the younger Sky Knight's words, her mind not allowing her to focus on anything else.

"So, what's the plan?"

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I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can, but with school and all... I'm pretty sure most of you guys know what I mean. 

Woah, 1 a.m... Time sure flies.

Anyway, Rewiew!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 yay...

I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Terra Pax. And oc's that might (will) appear.

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Aerrow stands by the window on the bridge and stares through it, watching the sky get darker and darker as minutes pass by. Behind him, Starling and Finn sit at the table and go over the plan for at least the fifth time. He smiles slightly to himself, knowing that Finn will only manage to follow half of the plan before giving up and simply improvise. Just like he always did with Piper's plans. He feels his heart ache and shuts his eyes tightly as carnelian eyes enter his mind. It still hurt to think about her. 

"Terra ahead!"

The Sky Knight opens his eyes again and tries to find what Stork is talking about as Starling and Finn walk to them. And there, surrounded by clouds, is a small terra and at the docks lies the Cyclonian carrier they've been trying to find.

"Aerrow, Finn, get into your Talon suits and meet me in the hangar. Stork, land as close to the ship as you can but be sure the Condor is out of sight. This terra is a Cyclonian territory and we don't want anyone to find us."

The three of them nod and Aerrow follows Finn out of the bridge as Stork searches for a place to land. He had allowed Starling to take control over the mission, especially because it is hers and they are only helping her. And she had decided that Junko and Radarr would draw to much attention to them and that they will stay behind on the Condor with Stork, ready to help if needed.

He sighs as he opens the door to his room and steps inside. On a chair lies the Talon suit Starling had insisted he'd wear as a disguise. His janitor suit wouldn't fool anyone anymore and he needs the Talon helmet to cover his red hair. With a frown he pulls his shirt over his head and throws it onto his bed. He walks to the chair as he takes Piper's necklace out of his pocket and fastens it around his neck. He doesn't want to loose it somewhere and he's not leaving it behind. This way, she is a part of the mission too.

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A teenaged girl stands as far away from the cell door as she can and leans against the wall. She bows her head a bit and her black hair falls over her face, hiding the fear it shows. She keeps her eyes locked on the floor and listens to the whispering people around her. They're just as afraid as she is, she can hear it in their voices, but like her, they all try to hide it from everyone else in the room. Suddenly, the whispering stops and she lifts her head to see why. The door is opened and two Talons throw a girl inside and carefully lock the door again. The black-haired girl runs over to her and whispers as she helps her stand up:

"What did he want?"

"It doesn't matter, Raven. He didn't get it anyway."

Her voice is low and determined, filled with anger and hinted with hate all at the same time, but not towards the girl she called Raven. It's towards a man known as the Dark Ace. She walks to the only window in the cell, ignoring every pair of eyes that are still locked on her. Raven follows her and her worries grow as she notices a new bruise on the teen's cheek, joining the others on her wounded body.

"Your cheek... What happened?"

For a moment there is silence between the two of them. The girl touches her cheek slightly with her fingers, not feeling the pain the bruise should been giving her. She takes a hold onto one of the bars as she answers her friend, her voice softer then before.

"He asked me a question and I didn't know the answer. He thought I lied. I guess I can consider myself lucky that he didn't have his blade in his hand when he hit me..."

Raven stares at her, surprised that she can talk about it like it's something that doesn't matter - like she's talking about the weather or something. The other girl just stares at the night sky, ignoring everything around her, and whispers lyrics of a song she's been hearing in her mind for the past few days:

"Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it though  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you..."

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"What's taking him so long?"

Starling folds her arms and stares up the ramp in front of her.

"I thought he said he would only be a minute."

She looks at Aerrow who stares blankly back at her.

"He did. You know how he can be sometimes. He probably forgot where he putted his goggles, he'll be here soon."

"He better be..."

The red-haired Sky Knight turns away from her and walks closer to the edge of the terra, listening to the wind as it blows between the trees. If he didn't know better, he would swear the wind is whispering to him. He lifts his hand up to his neck, feeling the crystal under his Talon shirt. He knows the low voice is just in his mind, the fact that Starling doesn't seem to hear anything proves that, but it's so much easier to believe it's not - and believe instead that it's really her, telling him to not give up yet.

'_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you...'_

Maybe, just maybe, there is still hope...

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I really don't have anything to say about this chapter so...

Oh, and Cinderpool, when I read your rewiew I was like "Oh, so close!" ;)

Rewiew..


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6, yay. I don't really like this chapter though, it's so... uh, I don't know... :/

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Terra Pax and Raven

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"Finally. What took you so long?" 

Aerrow turns around when Starling's low voice is heard and watches Finn walk to them. The sharpshooter is about to answer but the older Sky Knight shakes her head slightly.

"Never mind. Let's go, guys."

The three of them run into the forest as the Condor takes off behind them and disappears into the clouds that surround the terra, for better cover. They don't have to go far to get to the Cyclonian carrier but the forest is dense and dark so they walk slowly, trying not to trip over roots or rocks that lie in their way. They kneel behind a couple of bushes, the carrier in clear view. They look around, trying to see if there are any guards wandering around but find none. Making the most out of their luck, Starling quickly gives them an order.

"Ready? Run!"

They hurry over to the carrier and dash up the ramp and inside. No one seems to have notice and they stop for a moment to catch their breath as they look around them. They're in a completely empty hangar, besides for few vehicles that are parked close to the walls. The two Sky Knights look at each other, neither having a good feeling about this. No Cyclonians anywhere. That can't be good, can it? Finn however ignores every warning in his mind and walks straight towards the door in the other end of the room.

"Come on, guys. We're on a Cyclonian terra. I doubt they think that anyone except Cyclonians will ever dare to come here. Besides, they won't recognize us in this."

Hesitantly, they follow him and begin their search for the people from Terra Pax.

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The moon shines brightly high in the night sky and lights up a person standing by a window. Three bars are the only thing that keeps her from escaping through the window and she holds two of them tightly. Her eyes look away from the view outside and wander around the room. Most of the people have fallen asleep, despite for the fear they feel of what will happen to them. Some are still awake, trying to hold onto the hope that someone will come and rescue them - a hope that's slowly fading.

"What do we do next?"

The girl looks into the questioning blue eyes of the girl next to her.

"We've already tried everything. It's over."

"So you're just gonna give up?"

"Hey, it's not like I want to. Think about it, there's nothing more we can do."

"But Pi..."

A familiar sound cuts her off and the two off them look again through the window. The engines have been turned on and the ship is slowly turned around. Few people hurry to them and their hope disappears as they watch the terra grow smaller.

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"Uh, guys, do you hear that?"

A sudden movement from the ship makes the three rescuers almost loose their balance and they grab the walls for support.

"Yeah, Finn, and we felt that too."

"But that is not supposed to happen. The ship wasn't supposed to leave until sunrise."

The two Storm Hawks look at the Interceptor.

"So why are we moving now? I really don't want to go to Cyclonia again."

"Finn, be quiet for a minute and let me think. We have to let the others know. They'll just have to follow us. If we can get the prisoners into the hangar we can escape on the Switchblades."

"Okay, I'll let Stork know. Just keep on going; I'll catch up with you."

Starling and Finn nod and run down the hallway. After what seems like forever, they finally find the ship's prison cells. One of the three guards who sit outside one of the doors looks up when they come closer.

"Are you here to take the next shift?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, we are."

The guard who asked looks at her, suspecting the hesitation but shrugs it off and shakes the guard next to him as he stands up.

"Great, I was beginning to think that we'd have to stay here all night too."

The other two guards murmur something as they walk passed them. As soon as they disappear around a corner the Sky Knight quickly finds the key to the door and opens it as she takes off the helmet and goggles she has on.

"Quick, follow us. We're here to..."

She falls silent and her eyes widen in surprise when they land on one of the persons in the dark cold room.

* * *

Maybe it's not as bad as I think (looks away from computerscreen, thinking)

Cinderpool (Rewiew for this chapther): I think you were right though (probably the reason I don't like this chapter) I think I was rushing it, but I'm not done with the characters yet. Yeah, I know what I said (smiles sheepishly) I just wasn't sure if I was going to post those chapters here or not.

Review...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7, yay. Sorry it took so long to update, it's just been crazy with school and all... To be honest, I shouldn't even be here right now / I'm supposed to be doing few exercises in math (which I can only blame myself for because I haven't really been paying much attention in class / ), but when I finally got an idea on how to finish the chapter I just had to post it too :D Hope you like it.

And I will try to post the next chapter sooner...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Terra Pax and Raven

* * *

The Condor:

"Um, Stork? They haven't seen us yet so why are you slowing down? 

Junko tries not to yell at the merb but it's hard to speak normally with Aerrow's loud voice coming from the radio; the Sky Knight still tries to give them their order and waits for their reply. For some reason, the radio does not allow them to answer and Junko silently blames himself for that but says nothing to the other two in the room. Radarr whines from Junko's shoulder, wondering why the radio doesn't work like it's supposed to do.

"The border to Cyclonia is right there. My ship is not entering that place again."

Tired of the noise, he lets go off the controls and puts his hands firmly over his sensitive ears.

"And will you please shut this thing off! The two of them are giving me a headache."

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With Aerrow:

Slightly annoyed, the Sky Knight grabs the helmet off his head and throws it away as he takes the goggles off as well. All he gets from the radio is static and sometimes a word or two but nothing that can tell him if his teammates heard him or not. Footsteps, heading his way, makes him turn around and he prepares himself for the worst. A man rounds the corner, his blood red eyes meeting leaf green ones, and a smirk appears on the man's face.

"Now what do we have here? I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up at all."

The teen ignores his comment and glares at his enemy as he drops the radio and draws out his blades. Without thinking twice, Aerrow attacks the Cyclonian commander; hate burning inside the young Sky Knight. The Dark Ace manages to block the attack with his own blade on the last second and a slight surprise strikes his mind at his opponent's anger. He kicks the Storm Hawk in the stomach, sending him flying down another hallway.

The teen immediately jumps back to his feet and attacks his enemy again.

-------------------------------------------------------------

With Finn and Starling:

"Starling! Finn!"

The girl ignores her aching body's protests as she runs to the door. She throws herself at a very surprised sharpshooter and hugs him tightly; a single tear runs down her bruised cheek in relief. 

In disbelief, he slowly moves his own arms to place them around her, but when he finds her back under his hands, he's finally convinced that it's not his imagination and hugs her a bit tighter.

"Damn it, Piper, don't scare us like that." 

The wide-eyed Sky Knight beside them shakes her head slightly and then looks back into the room.

"We can't stay here. We have to go now! Come on, follow us!"

Finn grabs Piper's wrist and drags her with him through the door and down the hallway. She looks over her shoulder as they run and smiles at the prisoners' happy faces as they run with them.

Further behind them, Starling suddenly stops and stares at a small thing - a radio - that lies on the floor. A dark-haired girl runs into her, the sudden stop coming as a complete surprise to her and she falls down to the floor.

"Ow!"

Slowly, she stands up and looks concerned at the Sky Knight. 

"Hey... Are you okay?"

Starling nods slightly and turns to the girl.

"Go straight to the hangar with the others. Tell Finn and Piper to get out of here immediately. I'll meet you on the ship. I'm gonna go find Aerrow."

With that, Starling runs down a hallway on her right, leaving a very confused and wide-eyed Raven staring after her before running off herself. 

Following the metal-hitting-metal sound ahead of her, Starling does not have to run far before she's forced to dodge a blast as she rounds a corner. 

"Aerrow!"

Unintentionally, she shouts the redhead's name as he's pushed into a wall. Two pairs of eyes meet hers and the Cyclonian backs away as she runs to them, ready to block her possibly oncoming attack. However, she never gets close to him. Aerrow steps between them and she manages to stop right before she runs him down. 

"Go; get the prisoners to the Condor. I'll be fine. I'm not leaving until he gets what he deserves! He's going to pay for what he did!"

Hatred fills his voice and she's taken aback by the look on his face as he meets her gaze for a moment. Her eyes widen as realisation hits her and she tries to talk some sense into him. 

"Aerrow, you don't have to do this alone. Please, let me help you. And Piper's n..."

The Dark Ace's voice cuts her off and the two Sky Knights look at him, a small radio in his hands.

"Talons! Secure the hangar. The prisoners cannot escape!"

His voice echoes through the ship as his voice is heard from every speaker. The two Sky Knights share a worried glance and the Cyclonian smirks at them.

"There's no escape now, Sky Knights. You might as well give up."

"That's not an option!"

"Starling, go now. I can take him. They need you!"

He runs to the man and kicks the small device from his hands; a breaking sound echoes in the hallway and the broken pieces fall to the floor. The Cyclonian activates his long blade again and strikes at the teen, finding his weapon being blocked once more.

"Go!"

Knowing he's right, she nods frowning and runs as fast as she can to the hangar, hoping the escapees are still alright.

-------------------------------------------------------------

In the hangar:

As soon as they enter the hangar, Piper pulls her hand from Finn's hold and turns around. 

"Everyone, find a ride and fly to the Condor!"

Without hesitation, the people quickly do as he tells them and find themselves a Switchblade. Unsure of where the ship actually is, they then wait for the two Storm Hawks to do the same. Finn, standing next to one of the red rides, turns towards his teammate and shouts to her:

"Piper, come on. We have to get to the Condor too. We have to lead them there."

Without turning, she shouts back, her eyes locked on the door in front of her.

"One minute, Starling and R... Oh thank Atmos. Raven!"

The girl runs up to her and her blue eyes meet Piper's amber ones as she runs past her and to the Switchblade parked next to Finn's; Piper follows a bit hesitantly.

"Where's Starling?"

"She told me to tell you to leave immediately and that she'll meet us on the ship. Then she said something about someone called Aerrow."

"What? Aerrow's here? Why didn't..."

Every person in the room seems to turn into wide-eyed statues as a man's voice cuts her off:

"**Talons! Secure the hangar. The prisoners cannot escape!"**

Few seconds pass and then worried voices fill the hangar, one voice louder and more determined than the others. 

"Hurry up; we need to get out off here now!"

Every pair of eyes look at Finn as he jumps onto the ride next to him and starts the engine, heading straight to his fellow Storm Hawk. He grabs around her waist, keeping her from running off into the ship's hallways and turns to the hangar's open door just as Talons start to run in through the other. As the two Storm Hawks exit the ship, the people from Pax following them, Finn turns the ride into flying mode and takes off into Cyclonia's red, cloud-covered skies. 

Still in her disguise, Starling is able to blend in with the running Talons without being detected. Watching the last Switchblade take off from the runway, she holds back of a smile of success and looks around her, wondering what the Talons are going to do now. She's sure they're too few to be able to do anything, even if they had enough rides left. Surprisingly, smirks spread across their faces, one by one, and one of them grabs a device from his belt. He pushes down a button and moves his hand to his mouth.

"Commander, the prisoners escaped from our carrier and are heading towards the border. "

"**Don't worry, I see them."**

The sound from the pink-haired Cyclonian's violin reaches the hangar, faintly at first but becomes louder as the space between the ship and her Talons becomes smaller. Five of the seven or eight Talons inside the ship move towards the remaining Switchblades, deciding to help. Desperate to get away and warn the others, Starling runs towards one of the rides, pushes aside a Talon in her way and jumps on it. A loud "Hey" follows her as she starts the engine, rides out and takes off into the sky. 

Piper's eyes widen as Ravess' theme music fills the air and she turns her head around, gasping at the sight behind her. Her eyes locked on the large group of Talons, she shouts to her friend:

"Finn, turn left!"

"Huh?"

He looks over her shoulder, wondering what she's looking at and narrowly dodges a crystal-tipped arrow. 

"Oh, just great. What now?"

"You still have your crossbow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Try to get behind me. I'll drive, you shoot, got it?"

Finn grins.

"Got it."

They switch places and Piper grabs the steer as Finn takes out his crossbow. She flies to Raven, who is a bit ahead of them, and shouts to her:

"Finn and I are gonna take care of the Cyclonians, can you make sure everyone get to the Condor?"

"Um, sure, it's the ship over there, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll come and help you guys when I'm done. Good luck!"

"You too."

As Piper turns the ride around to face Ravess and her Talons, Raven heads for the Condor, shouting for the people to follow her.

Smiling, Finn aims his crossbow at the Talons and one by one, they float down it their parachutes. A sudden turn makes him miss his current target and annoyed he turns to Piper.

"Can't you keep this thing steady? I can't hit them if you keep turning and diving like that."

"I don't know about you but I don't want to end up in the Wastelands - again."

"Good point. How did you survive anyway?"

The girl is about to tell him to focus on the battle when an arrow hits the engine and the Switchblade starts to slow down.

"Aw man, how come my ride is hit in every battle?"

"If you had been paying attention to the Cyclonians and allowed me to fly the way I want to, then maybe we wouldn't have been hit!"

A smile had appeared on Ravess' face when her arrow hit the two Storm Hawks' ride, and it grows as she takes out another arrow. She aims at them again and as she fires, she orders a few of her remaining Talons to go and get them.

Couple of minutes earlier:

As the last ride lands inside the Condor's hanger, Raven turns hers around and takes off into the sky again, followed by Junko on his skimmer. 

"Hey, you can go back inside. We can handle them."

"No, I promised Piper I'd help her and Finn. If I only could find them..."

Seeing a Talon fly to them, Junko flies towards him and hits the Cyclonian ride with his activated knuckle busters before turning back to Raven.

"Do you mean Piper... of the Storm Hawks?"

"Yeah. Hey, there they are!"

She points in their direction but her small smile disappears as she notices a smoke coming from her friend's ride. As Ravess releases the second arrow, Junko and Raven race towards them but few Talons block their way. Wide-eyed, they watch as the arrow hits its target, making the Switchblade explode right after the two Storm Hawks had jumped off. Talons surround the falling Hawks, grab them and fly towards Cyclonis' palace.

With a shout, Junko and Raven attack the Talons and defeat them all, with Starling's help, but when the rest of them retreat, it's already too late to save their friends.

-------------------------------------------------------------

With Aerrow:

A Talon runs down the ship's hallways in search for the Dark Ace. He rounds a corner and gasps at the sight in front of him. His commander is pinned against the wall by a teenage boy and a blade is held close to his neck. He points his staff at the teen but has no idea what he can do that will not put the Dark Ace's life in more danger. 

As the Cyclonian's eyes leave his, the Sky Knight looks over his shoulder, wondering what he could possibly be looking at. Noticing this, the Dark Ace pushes him away and kicks him; the teen falls to the floor, clutching his stomach. Retrieving his sword from the floor, he points it at the teen and asks the newly arrived Talon; red eyes never leave Aerrow for a second.

"What is it?"

"The prisoners from Pax escaped, sir. Ravess didn't catch them either, but she caught two of the Storm Hawks and she's taking them to Cyclonia's prison as we speak."

"Who?"

"The blond kid and the girl."

Aerrow looks up in surprise as he puts the pieces together in his mind.

'_Starling is an Interceptor, the Cyclonians know that. They wouldn't say that she's a Storm Hawk which means the girl must be - '_

"Piper."

The Dark Ace smirks as he hears the teen whisper the girl's name and turns to the Talon.

"We should be landing any minute now. Take him to the prison once we do and make sure he will not be able to escape."

The Dark Ace puts his sword back to its place on his back as the Talon grabs the defeated Aerrow's arm and pulls him to his feet. Two other Talons come to help the first and together they lead the teen off the ship and towards the prison cells; the teen is still too shocked from the news to try to resist.

* * *

Aw, poor Piper, she was free for such a short time... 

Review... :D


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nothing much happens in this chapter but... well, read the author's note at the end if you want to know why. And I'll try not to take so long to update again.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Terra Pax and Raven

* * *

Cyclonia - Throne room:

Her delicate fingers leave the keyboard and the machine's movements stop. Violet eyes lock themselves on a clear crystal, where it's held secure by the machine, and she makes one hand hover over the keyboard again. Pressing down a button, she lifts her other hand as one of the machine's arms hands her the crystal.

She holds the crystal carefully, her fingers tracing the spherical form as she becomes lost in thought; the slight and slowly swirling mist inside it holds her gaze captive in a matter of seconds.

Behind her still form, the door is opened and a man steps inside, quietly closing it behind him as if not to startle her with the sound, even though he knows she had noticed his arrival. He walks towards her, his movements slow and silent, and he stops as he reaches the steps that lead to her. With his hand on his chest, he bows his head in respect for the young ruler and lets her name and title escape his mouth with a soft voice.

"Master Cyclonis."

She does not move right away but stays still, listening to the silence that surrounds her once more. Her hold on the crystal tightens as her eyes leave it and she moves her head slightly to the side, looking at the raven-haired man over her shoulder from the corner of her eye.

"Speak."

He closes his eyes as he straightens himself and makes them open again as he follows her order, wondering how one word from her lips could make him wish he was still fighting the Sky Knight on the ship.

"The prisoners from Terra Pax escaped but Ravess was able to catch Piper again and Finn as they fought the Talons under her command. Aerrow was caught on the ship. The three of them are being locked up in the prison as we speak."

To his surprise, she does not react the way he feared she might. Instead, she simply turns around to look at him; a hint of a smile is evident on her face.

"And the terra?"

"Still under your command, Master. The Sky Knights of Atmos have yet to find out about the Talons we left there, even though they knew about the prisoners."

"Good, but I suspect that will change soon. Go; tell Ravess to take few more Talons and head to the terra. Tell her to make sure everything will be ready on time and I do not want to hear anything about any kind of delays."

She lets go of the crystal with one hand, only the very tips of her fingers still touching it slightly. He bows to her again as she turns away from him; his simple answer the last thing she hears before he leaves the room.

"Consider it done, Master Cyclonis."

With a growing smile, she carefully puts the crystal in a box, placed next to her machine, and picks up another, the new one being diamond shaped and matching her eyes in colour. She hands it over to the machine and follows it with her eyes as the machine finds a secured place for it to be while she finishes it.

'_It's only a matter of time until Atmos is mine. And it will start with a second betrayal of a Storm Hawk.'_

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Cyclonia - With Aerrow:

As the three Talons lead him through the hallways, the young Sky Knight gains control over his thoughts and turns his attention to the walls around him, memorizing every detail he can. As they round the last corner, two low and familiar voices carry from one of the cells and reach the young man's ears but fall silent as the footsteps from him and the Cyclonians echo slightly in the badly lit corridor.

He narrows his eyes, trying to see what the darkness hides from him as a cell door is opened in front of him and the Talons push him inside. He keeps his back turned to them as they carefully lock the door and listens as they walk away. It takes his eyes only a moment to adjust to the dark and soon he can make out two figures through the bars between his cell and theirs.

"Aerrow, is that you? Aw man, what are we gonna do now?"

"Finn?"

'_The blond kid and the girl.'_

Remembering the Talons words, the Sky Knight doesn't dare to say another word or move closer to the other two in the prison, afraid that his hope will only be crushed if 'the girl' doesn't turn out to be Piper. They however do and a second later, they stand as close to him as they can, their hands holding the bars that separate them from their leader.

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Aerrow?"

Recognizing the latter soft voice as hers, he quickly makes his way over to them, his heart racing. Her amber eyes meet his for a brief moment before his arms find their way through the bars and pull her into an embrace. She immediately returns the hug, holding tighter than she did Finn, and a wave of relief and happiness washes over her; unnoticed, silent tears run down their cheeks as they rest their heads on the bar between them.

Few minutes pass in complete silence and then the Sky Knight moves his head to look at the girl in front of him, the girl he thought was lost forever. She does the same and despite for the situation, she smiles, feeling safe in her leader's arms.

'_Maybe someday I will be able to tell him that...'_

"I thought I lost you..."

As the redhead's whisper cuts the silence, Finn feels the urge to tease them stronger than ever but somehow manages not to and instead repeats his question from earlier.

"What are we gonna do now? I can't say that I'd like to spend the rest of my life here."

Against their will, though neither would admit that, the two Storm Hawks let go of each other and turn their attention to Finn instead. Piper's smile fades and she takes a few steps away from them, folding her arms as she tries to come up with some kind of plan. The Sky Knight smiles confidently to the sharpshooter, so sure their escape will not be a problem.

"We'll find a way. But did Starling and the others get away?"

"Yeah, they're probably halfway to Pax right now."

"They're what!?"

Slightly startled, the two young men look at her as she turns to them as well.

"I said-"

"I heard what you said, Finn. Oh, this is bad. The Cyclonians conquered the terra when they attacked!"

* * *

Probably not the best place to end the chapter but I'm still working on couple of things in the next... scene? Not really sure if the word can be used to describe it but it's the only one I could think of so it has to do for now.

Review...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Thank you guys for your reviews. Glad you like the story. And Archer: Starling's not going anywhere just yet and I guess everything could happen. I'll keep in mind everything you said.

This chapter is short but I'll update again today. I don't know if you've noticed how... the time went by (?) but at the end of chapter 8 it was somewhere in the morning. This chapter starts where the last one ended, meaning around late morning or even at noon, and it didn't feel right to post eveything I wrote in the same chapter because most of it happes late in the evening. But I promise chapter 10 will be posted today.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Terra Pax and Raven... and the two crystals I've mentioned so far.

* * *

The Condor:

"STORK! Stork, guess what! Piper's alive! She survived!"

Junko runs over the crowded bridge, a smile on his face as he picks up the shocked merb and gives him a bone-crushing hug. Gasping for air, Stork tries to get the wallop to release him before he suffocates.

"Need... Air..."

"Oh, sorry."

Junko smiles sheepishly but it fades as the pilot questions their friends' absence from the Condor.

"She... survived? Where is she? And Finn and Aerrow for that matter."

"Yeah... About that..."

Junko looks at Staling for help as she walks in with Raven behind her. Sighing, she quickly fills Stork in on their situation.

"Finn and Piper were caught by Ravess' Talons. And since Aerrow hasn't returned I think it's safe to say that he was caught too."

"What? You mean there's only two-" A loud 'Raa' sound is heard from the floor and Stork looks down at an annoyed Radarr. "Fine, there's three of us left! Things can't get any worse than this."

"Stork, calm down. We'll get them back, I promise. But first, we have to get these people home. Set course to Terra Pax."

As she hears the Sky Knight's order, Raven quickly steps forward, grabbing their attention as she speaks.

"No wait! We can't go back there, we'll probably be killed or something."

The black-haired girl grabs the pilot's arm to stop him from moving towards the controls. Starling turns to her, surprise evident in her green eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The terra is a Cyclonian territory now. Didn't you know that?"

There's a short pause as the Sky Knight thinks of what to do and then she turns to Stork.

"I guess we have two missions then. Stork, head for Atmosia. We need to get these people somewhere safe."

"Um, you can let go of my arm now."

"Right, sorry."

"Junko, check on the supplies. If we need anything, we'll get it in Atmosia before we head out."

Junko salutes and heads for the kitchen, Radarr following close behind.

Starling walks to the window, muttering to herself as she watches the clouds pass them by. Curiosity getting the better of her, Raven follows her, her blue eyes locked on the Sky Knight.

"I can't believe I fell for the distraction. I should've sent someone on recon to Pax while we went on that rescue mission."

"I don't know if this helps but the 'distraction' wasn't planned until after they had taken the terra; they didn't think they needed it. And if it weren't for the 'distraction', no one would've have found out about this until it were too late."

Starling blinks as she hears the voice beside her and turns to face the younger woman, taking in her appearance as she questions her. Her slightly ripped and dirty outfit consists of black boots, tight, dark blue trousers and a dark green shirt, similar to Piper's but Raven has a black belt whereas Piper has a brown one.

"That... actually makes sense, but why did they take the prisoners if they didn't need them?"

Raven shrugs.

"I'm not sure. Piper said it was because of her. They probably thought the Storm Hawks were close by."

"Do you know what they're planning to do?"

"The Cyclonians? No, they didn't really discuss their plans with us, but I do know a lot of them were left behind on the terra. I only know what Piper told me and..." She looks away for a moment, thinking. "...I think I've told you everything."

'_That's why there were so few Talons on that carrier. I knew this was too easy.'_

"What's your name?"

"Raven..."

"Okay, Raven; go find Junko in the kitchen. It's that way. Tell him to show you were Piper's room is. Since you're from Pax, you must know the terra well and I want you to bring me every chart of the terra you can find. Piper's organized so it shouldn't be too hard. If you can, bring a map of Cyclonia too."

Hesitating, Raven turns around and heads for the kitchen as Starling turns to Stork.

"We need to alert every squadron in that quadrant. I want to know exactly what's going on, on that terra, before we plan on how to get it back."

* * *

Review... :D


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 everyone, posted today like I promised... Well, it's still 'today' where I live. It's a lot longer than the last one, almost 3000 words, and- Ah, just go on and read it. I don't really have anything important to say. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Raven and Terra Pax... and the two crystals I've mentioned so far.

* * *

Cyclonia - Throne Room:

"**Everything's going as planned, Master Cyclonis. Everything should be ready by the day after tomorrow."**

A smirk appears on the teen's face as she listens to Ravess' voice through the radio. Lifting the mouthpiece higher, the young ruler replies.

"Good. The Dark Ace will be there tomorrow."

Turning off the device, she turns to three Talons that stand in front of her, waiting for an order.

"Go, get me the girl."

The Talons bow to her before leaving the room. As the door closes behind them, the Dark Ace moves out from the shadows by the wall. Stopping in front of his mistress, he bows like the Talons before him, his hand on his chest. Meeting her eyes as he straightens himself, he wonders out loud.

"I thought you were going to tell me my mission now, Master Cyclonis."

"I will, Dark Ace, but we will have to wait for... your 'partner'."

"My what?"

"You heard what I said. Piper will be going with you."

"You know she won't agree to do so, your highness. She's a Storm Hawk; she won't agree to betray her teammates."

Master Cyclonis lets out a low chuckle and her lips form a smirk once more.

"Isn't that what you, too, said all those years ago, when you were a Storm Hawk yourself? However, I should tell you that I will not ask her to do anything. I am not even going to threaten her."

She opens a box, placed on a table next to her seat, and carefully picks up the spherical crystal she had been working on that morning. Holding it secure in her hands, she lifts it up for him to see.

"After I'm done with her, she will become one of us, a Cyclonian, and she will not hesitate to do what is best for Cyclonia."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Cyclonia - The Prison:

Sighing, the young woman picks herself up from the cold floor and walks over to the window, even though she knows she cannot see anything but the red sky and the Wastelands through it. Grabbing one of the bars, she allows her mind to travel back in time, wondering how all of this could have happened.

"Piper?"

Startled, she turns towards the whisperer, her amber eyes watching as the shadowy figure stands up and walks towards her.

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to tell you earlier but I have your necklace."

As he stops at the bars between the cells, hands raised up to his neck to take off the pendant, she walks over to him.

"You found it? I thought I lost it in the Wastelands."

"You did. Finn found it near your Heliscooter. Piper... it's completely destroyed, even Stork doubted he could repair it when I asked him to help me. I still tried though. Turn around; I'll fasten it for you."

She turns around, her hand touching the crystal as he places and fastens it around her neck.

"You asked him that? Why? Finn told me you all thought I died."

She turns to him again, her eyes meeting his.

"We did, we all did, but until I had to tell Starling you crashed, it didn't seem too real. I didn't want it to be real. Even though all the evidence told me you couldn't have survived, I kept telling myself that we didn't actually find you and therefore had no way of knowing what had really happened to you. There was... something that kept telling me that there was still hope. "

He looks to the side, trying to hide what his eyes might reveal.

'_She'll think I'm nuts if I tell her it was she who told me.'_

"Um... How did you survive the crash anyway?"

For a moment, the only thing that cuts the silence is Finn's light snores. The navigator watches her friend, trying to figure out what's bothering him, but soon looks away and walks to the wall. Sliding down to the floor, her head resting on the bar next to her, she begins to tell him what happened, her soft voice barely reaching his ears.

"I'm not really sure. Judging from what I've heard, I should be dead. My parachute didn't work, I guess it got damaged in the battle, so I tried jumping off the Heliscooter when I got close enough to the ground. Let's just say that didn't go so well. I don't remember much but apparently I hit my head and got knocked out."

She pauses for a moment and closes her eyes. The Sky Knight silently moves towards her and sits down next to his friend, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"When I woke up the next morning I was in a hospital on Pax with a very worried-looking Raven sitting next to me. She told me that a guy, heading back home to Pax, found me in the Wastelands. Our battle with the Cyclonians was in the way so he had to fly around it. When he saw me fall, he raced after me but he was too slow to catch me. He took me to Pax and left me at the hospital."

'_It should've been me who found you... Piper, I'm so sorry...'_

"A word got out that a teenaged girl had been found near death in the Wastelands, possibly a Storm Hawk. Raven heard it and rushed to the hospital to see if it was me. We were really good friends when we were younger but after I lost my parents, we started to see less and less of each other until we lost touch completely. I've told you about her before, remember? She's the one I wrote to right after we formed the squadron three years ago."

Even though he knows her eyes are closed, he nods.

"But since they knew you were a Storm Hawk, why didn't they contact us?"

"They tried, I even tried soon after I woke up, but we never got an answer... Not even a signal for that matter."

She looks directly at Aerrow, a question in her eyes, but he doesn't look back. He knows why she got no signal. He clears his throat, his eyes locked on his feet.

"Oh right... Yeah, about that... I think I know why..."

He trails off and turns his eyes to the ceiling. She waits, but nothing more is heard from the Sky Knight. The young woman turns so her body faces the bars that separate them, her hand moving through them to touch his shoulder, both in comfort and to urge him to continue.

"And...?"

"The radio, um, got broken somehow and Junko didn't finish fixing it until the night after you crashed. I'm guessing it was already too late by then."

"Broken? How? It was fine right before we went out for battle."

_FLASHBACK:_

'_How could this happen? How could we not find her? I'm a Sky Knight for crying out loud. I shouldn't have let this happen. I shouldn't have taken my eyes of the Dark Ace. If I hadn't I would've been able to warn her or at least safe her.'_

As the Sky Knight walked into the bridge, he grabbed the first thing his hands touched and threw it at the wall. It hit the wall, creating a loud sound, and fell broken to the floor.

-- --

He didn't realize until much later what it was that he threw. The moonlight lit up the broken pieces where they lied on the floor, allowing him to see them as he walked past them later that night, heading for his room.

_END FLASHBACK_

'_Why do I get the feeling this is all my fault?'_

"Aerrow?"

"Huh? Oh yeah."

He turns to her, kneeling, his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Piper, about everything. I should've known Dark Ace would try to do something like attacking us while they retreated; I should've been able to prevent is from happening. And the radio was my fault too. When we only found your ride, I just felt so... and I just, I don't know, kinda grabbed the first thing a saw and threw it at the wall. If I hadn't then we would've found you a lot sooner. And maybe we could've been able to protect Terra Pax from the Cyclonians. And-"

She puts a finger on his lips to silence him but withdraws it as soon as she realizes what she just did. Slightly blushing, she thanks Atmos in her mind it's too dark for him to see it.

"Sh... It's okay, Aerrow. This wasn't your fault; we all let our guard down. I should've paid more attention instead of turning my back to them completely."

"But I'm the Sky Knight. I should-"

"Sky Knight or not, you're still a human! We all make mistakes sometimes."

Letting go of her shoulders, he cups her face instead, his head moving closer to the bars as he whispers, his voice softer than before.

"But my mistakes shouldn't get you almost killed."

Behind Piper, Finn stirs on one of the two cots in the cell, but neither of them notices. As the sharpshooter sits up, rubbing his eyes, Aerrow takes a deep breath and Piper whispers, lost within his green eyes.

"Aerrow-"

Neither of them notices the footsteps in the hallway, but Finn does and wide-eyed, he stares at the figures that approach the cell - his cell - as Aerrow cuts off the crystal specialist, his voice also a whisper.

"No, I need to say this now before I loose the courage to do so. You deserve to know this. Piper, I-"

"Uh, guys, I think we have visitors."

The door is opened, a creaky sound slightly echoing as it does, and only then do they look away from the other. Three men, all armed, block the doorway, a smile on every face. The three Storm Hawks stand up immediately and the Sky Knight's hands curl into fists.

"What do you want?"

Two of the Talons chuckle as the third answers his question, pointing at the woman.

"Her."

Not even a second passes before his hand his through the bars, placed in front of her as if to protect her. Chuckling again, the three men point their weapons towards them.

"We can do this with or without hurting anyone, your choice, _Sky_ _Knight_."

"It's okay, Aerrow, I'll be fine."

Her low voice makes him turn to her, emerald meeting amber for a brief moment. He knows she's able to take care of herself, after all this is Piper, the strong and sensible Piper, but he can't get rid of the feeling that something bad will happen. His hand falls down to his side as he tries one more time to keep her from getting more hurt than she already is. She may be strong but he's still a Sky Knight and she's still his teammate; he's not letting anything happen to her if he can prevent it from happening.

"Take me. Leave her alone and take me instead."

"Not gonna happen, Sky Knight. We're here for her and her only."

Two of them approach the sole female in the cell slowly, weapons still ready and one Talon guarding the door. With her back already up against the wall, she watches as the Cyclonians move closer. Not knowing what to do or say, the Sky Knight reaches out for her hand and holds it tightly in his, his eyes meeting hers again.

Not daring to move because of the weapon pointed at him, Finn stares as the Talons grab his friend, one arm each. They drag her with them to the door, her hand slipping from the young man's hold. Unwillingly, she goes with them, casting a glance at her friends as the door closes behind her. They stare back, watching as she's led away from them.

'_Piper...!'_

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Cyclonia - Throne Room - Piper's POV:

I allow the Talons to lead me through the hallways without protests, patiently... okay, not so patiently waiting for their hold on me loosen up a bit. I mean, these are just Talons; they always mess up something.

Right?

To be honest, I'm not really sure anymore.

And as we round one more corner and a heavily guarded double door meets my eyes, I finally realise how wrong I am. I try to pull myself free but they only grab me tighter and I try hard not to grimace as pain shoots up my left arm. I wasn't kidding when I told Aerrow that jumping off my Heliscooter didn't go so well.

The door is opened and they drag me inside, pushing me down to my knees in the middle of the room; a Talon staff is pushed into my back, preventing me from attempting to escape.

"Ah, Piper, we were just talking about you."

I look up as I hear her voice, my eyes meeting red ones first and then violet ones.

"What do you want with me?"

She acts as if she didn't even hear my question. Taking few steps towards me, she raises her hand, showing me a crystal.

"Do you know what this is?"

I hate to admit it but I have never seen a crystal like that one before. And of course, she just has to notice.

"I guess you could call it a memory crystal. You must've heard of them."

A memory crystal? Of course I've heard of it, but only in stories. It doesn't exist and I tell her that.

"The memory crystal is a myth, Cyclonis. It doesn't really exist. No one has ever found one."

On second thought, she probably wouldn't claim this crystal to be something it isn't. This can't be good.

"True, but I didn't find this one. I made it myself. And you will be the first person to feel its power."

Lucky me.

I stand up, ready to run, but the Talons grab me again and hold me still. Fear decides to make itself at home within me and, judging by the twisted smile on Cyclonis' face, it shows on mine. I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable, thinking about everything she might make me forget.

Stork, Junko, Finn, Radarr...

Aerrow...

Will I ever see my friends, my _family_ again? Will I remember them?

I feel a blast hit my chest but instead of throwing my body backwards, it seems to go through me, no inside me, and I cry out in pain. I fall down to my knees, my arms wrapping themselves around me in an attempt to make it hurt less; like a young child that clutches a small cut in hope for the soreness decrease. I can feel my mind being drained of everything I remember - names, faces, places - and I desperately hold on to the one thing that has yet to be taken away.

Red hair, green eyes and a confident smile.

Another scream escapes my mouth and I fall face down to the cold floor, allowing the darkness to take me.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Cyclonia - Throne Room - Third Person:

As Piper's voice fades into nothing, Master Cyclonis turns to the Dark Ace. Seeing the confusion in his eyes as he stares at the now light orange crystal in her hands, she explains.

"A memory crystal can take person's memories away, even alter them if desired. Unfortunately, such power over a person comes with a certain prise. Not only does her mind becomes linked to this crystal but her life as well, meaning I cannot send her alone to Pax to complete the mission without the risk of her dying."

She walks up the steps to the table next to her seat and picks up another crystal.

"What does that have to do with me, your highness?"

She walks to him again and hands him the two crystals.

"I want you to take her and these two crystals to Pax. Give her the purple one when she wakes up; I will give her further instruction later when everything is ready. The memory crystal you must keep with you at all times. Don't tell anyone about it or its effects on her. And stay close to her; I have yet to test the crystal further and therefore I do not know how far from it she can go without anything happening to her."

The man nods as he places the crystals in his pouch. With a wave of her hand, she dismisses him and he turns to pick up the dark-skinned teen on the floor.

"Oh, and Dark Ace."

Turning his head to the side, he looks at her from the corner of his eye.

"No mistakes."

* * *

I really hope the 1st person part came out okay. After many failing attempts to write it in 3rd person it just seemed to be the best way to write that part.

Review...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Finally I found time to write. Seriously, school sucks around this time of year. There's nothing but study, study, study and then the exams! Ugh... I hate exams... But enough of me complaining. Thanks for the reviews :D and here's the next chapter!

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Sophie Ellem: I saw the part about the Dark Ace being a Storm Hawks and betraying them in the second opening for the show. His blade even used to belong to the Sky Knight of the originals.

And thank you for pointing out to me about the explanation of the memory crystal. Here's everything known about the crystal:

(I might've added some things I haven't mentioned in the story. I hope this helps anyone who got confused in the last chapter. If not, let me know)

The memory crystal a clear, spherical crystal that, when used, drains the person's eye-colour and becomes that colour itself (in Piper's case it became orange). Each crystal can only be used on one person and that person's mind and life becomes linked to the crystal. The user can alter the person's memories and remove them if desired. The crystal and the person need to stay close to each other or else the person falls ill and might even die. If the person for some reason dies, the crystal is rendered of its power and in some cases it shatters. If the crystal is destroyed then the person will most likely die. There is a way to break the connection between the crystal and the person but very few, if any, know about it.  
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Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks but I do own Raven and Terra Pax... and the two crystals I've mentioned so far.

* * *

The Condor:

"**Oh, please, don't make me laugh! Terra Pax is so small it's a wonder someone bothered to draw it on a map! What could the Cyclonians possibly want with a terra like that?"**

Starling sighs and leans forward, head resting on one hand, the elbow on the map-covered table in front of her. The other hand reaches out for the mouthpiece and she replies to her fellow Sky Knight.

"That's what I want to find out. Cyclonis wouldn't take a terra that's useless to her and I want to know why she needs it."

"**You're... serious?"**

"Yes, I'm serious. Are you going to help us or do we have to ask someone else?"

There's a short pause on the other end and when the reply comes, Harrier's voice has changed.

"**The Rex Guardians will be honoured to assist you, Starling. What is it you want us to do?"**

"For now, I need someone to keep an eye on the terra without being detected. The Storm Hawks and I will arrive on Terra Rex sometime today. We're already on our way."

Looking up, she meets Stork's eyes as he turns his head slightly to her, eye twitching as he motions to the windows. Shifting her gaze to the window, she narrows her eyes and looks away from the terra seen in the distance, surrounded by blood red sky.

"**I'll send someone on recon immediately. How long is it until you arrive?"**

"Good. Stork and a girl from Pax should be there in a few hours. They'll fill you in if there's anything else you need to know. Junko and I need to... take a small detour and pick up the others. It shouldn't take too long. Starling out."

She sighs again as she puts the mouthpiece away and looks back through the window, watching as a lightning appears and lights up the sky with a eerie glow.

They had landed on Terra Atmosia the day before and the people they freed had all left the ship immediately, all eager to find a way to get to their friends and families that didn't live on Terra Pax. All but one. Having nowhere else to go, Raven had asked them, or to be more exact she asked Junko, if she could stay with them for a while and, being the kind-hearted wallop he is, he said yes. At first, the Sky Knight hadn't been too happy about having a civilian on board the Condor but later found that having a person who knew Pax to help them wasn't such a bad idea. While she and Junko would head to Cyclonia, Raven would help Stork find their way to Terra Rex, which is the next terra to Pax.

She looks down at one of the maps and, absentminded, traces their flight route with her finger. She had thought it was bad when only Piper was missing, but with her, Aerrow and Finn imprisoned in Cyclonia things are worse.

The joy of their friend survival had too soon been washed away as the fact of their capture had managed to sink in, leaving nothing but silence throughout the airship.

A dense silence that none of them dares to brake unless they have to - they all know they could be too late.

"Stork, you can stop the Condor here; we'll fly the rest of the way on our Skimmers."

The merb sighs, relieved that he does not have to fly his beloved ship closer to Cyclonia than he already has. Junko nervously shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Um... What was the plan again?"

Starling turns to him, trying to smile.

"We fly in the same way Stork and Piper went when you guys tried to get back the Aurora stone. The Raptors are on Terra Bogaton and I'm pretty sure Cyclonis has no one on guard there. Then, we make our way to the dungeons and leave Cyclonia with the guys, got that, Junko?"

A short silence follows her words and then the wallop nods eagerly.

"Good, lets go."

They quickly make their way to the hangar and mount their skimmers. Signalling he's ready with a nod, the wallop follows the Sky Knight out of the hangar and off the runway, feeling the wind all around him as they fall side-by-side down into the Wastelands. They pull up at the last minute, transforming their rides into flying-mode and head towards Cyclonia.

As they near the terra, they fly up alongside the cliff until they find the round opening of the pipe and fly inside, rides back in bike-mode. They travel through in silence, steadily moving further, deeper under the palace above them until...

"There! That's where Finn and I went through to find the Condor."

And sure enough, on the ceiling is a round-shaped hatch, barely big enough for Junko to fit through.

Carefully, they climb up the stairs, leaving their rides behind on the floor of the pipe. At the top, Starling opens the hatch slightly to see if anyone's there and then pushes it open as she sees no one. As soon as Junko has climbed through the hole, the Sky Knight hears someone coming and prepares herself for a fight. A lone Talon rounds the corner and she kicks him to the ground easily. The woman motions to the wallop to pick him up and he does so, grabbing the man by the back of his shirt. She walks to him smirking, green eyes staring at him determined.

"I have two questions for you and I expect answers immediately. Where are the Strom Hawks and where are their weapons?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Terra Pax:

Having taken off his golden armour and put on something more unnoticeable, a young Rex Guardian sneaks through a forest and towards the town. So far, no one had noticed the man but he does not relax his tensed muscles, eyes darting around at even the slightest noise. Hiding behind a couple of bushes at the forest's end, the town in clear view, he grabs a pair of binoculars and scans the town. Frowning at the sight, he finally finds that the purple-haired Sky Knight had been right.

There are Cyclonians there, and a lot of them.

'_Terra Pax is so close to Terra Rex, how could we not notice the invasion?'_

For a few minutes, he stays in the same position, quietly observing the Talons and their every action but finds nothing that can tell him why they are there. Noticing someone with a higher rank, the Rex Guardian follows a Cyclonian commander with his eyes, memorizing every move.

At first, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, the Dark Ace being on the terra was not something unexpected. His accompanying person, however, was. A low gasp escapes his mouth as he sees the young woman walking next to him and after making sure she was not there as a prisoner, he grabs the radio from his belt and turns it on.

"Jack to Harrier."

"Harrier here. What's your status?"

"Harrier, it's true what Sky Knight Starling said; there are Cyclonians here. Dark Ace and Ravess are leading them but that's not all. Piper of the Storm Hawks is here too, and it doesn't seem like she is here against her will."

--

Oblivious of the Rex Guardian, Piper tries to keep up with the Dark Ace's quick pace.

"So... what you're saying is that I crashed and that might be the reason for my memory loss?"

The Dark Ace slows down a bit. He had been worried about her possible questions, worried enough to radio his mistress and ask her what he should tell the girl, but so far, her questions had been easy to answer - and having lost her memories, she was easy to lie to.

"Yes."

"And I was knocked out for... couple of days?"

He frowns at this question, cursing her curiosity in his mind. He had had to tell her this later after she asked him about her almost healed wounds. Now, if she could only accept everything he had told her without questioning it...

"Yes."

"And I'm supposed to do... something with this crystal because someone called Master Cyclonis says so?"

"Yes."

The young woman looks down at the purple crystal for a moment before putting it back into her pocket, muttering.

"Well... her name does sound familiar enough... yours too, for that matter..."

'_Still doesn't explain why you told me to change into something in a different colour than what I wore before, something more... Cyclonian. This colour, it's too... black.'_

Lost in thought, she grabs a hold on the dark fabric that is her shirt and pulls it slightly, adjusting it better to her body. A thought crosses her mind and she stops, the man stopping too as he notices she is no longer by his side.

"Are you sure what we're doing is right? I mean, we have invaded this terra, imprisoned few civilians and planned on how to take other terras as well. And according to Ravess, that's not the only thing Cyc... uh, Master Cyclonis has in mind."

As he takes a minute to think of an answer, the red-eyed man meets her eyes, forcing himself not to look away even though hers are different from how they were just the day before. They are no longer the amber colour they used to be; the crystal had drained it from her and taken as its own. Now, they are the lightest shade of gray, the sparkle they once held gone as well as the warmth, leaving them staring cold, emotionless almost, into his crimson ones.

'_Tell her whatever it takes to keep her from running back to that annoying Sky Knight and his squadron.'_

Remembering the Cyclonian queen's words, he quickly replies to the young woman in front of him.

"Cyclonia was once a great empire, consisting of many terras, but then came the Sky Knights. For some reason, they found our terra a threat and attacked us. They took our terras away, leaving us with only one small one, barely big enough for Master Cyclonis' palace. What we are doing now is simply taking back what is rightfully ours."

"But-"

"I'm surprised you rather want to think of _them_ as the 'good-guys'. They don't care what happens to us, to the people who live on our terra. They don't care if we live or die. After all, it was one of them who blasted your ride so it crashed - with you still on it."

'_What? Someone actually shot me down from the sky? That can't be. I assumed I was low on fuel... or lost control of my ride...'_

Feeling anger rise inside her and every doubt of his words fade, she lets one word pass her lips with a hiss, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

"Who?"

The man smirks inwardly as a name pops into his mind and with a fake reassurance, he puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry; he's already behind bars in Cyclonia. His name is..."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Cyclonia - The Prison:

'_...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13...'_

Opening one eye just to be sure, the blond sharpshooter watches the two guards continue down the hallway after passing the Storm Hawks' cells. He closes his blue eye again and sighs bored.

It's cold, dark, the cot he's lying on is hard, Piper hasn't returned and Aerrow hasn't said a word to him - and that's only the top five on his list.

Hearing footsteps coming his way again, he starts counting as they round the corner, noticing there are three people coming this time.

'_1...2...3...4...5...6- wait, they stopped?'_

"Guys, are you in there?"

The whisper makes him sit up and he smiles as his eyes land on someone familiar.

"Junko? Hey, Aerrow, look who's here."

The blond jumps off the cot and runs to the door; Aerrow follows his example but in a slower manner. Junko moves back from the bars, dragging a second person with him as Starling steps forward, keys in one hand, a Talon staff in the other. She quickly opens the doors for them and they hurry through them.

"Now, we've found your weapons and-"

But neither Storm Hawk really listens to her. Finn's blue eyes still stare at Junko and as he walks closer, he's sure he recognizes the person his friend is holding.

"Hey, isn't that the-"

However, Aerrow beats him to it. He runs to the man and grabs his shirt by the collar as he lets out a hiss.

"Where is she? Where did you take her?"

The Talon stammers something the three other humans and the wallop do not understand and the redhead glares at him as he repeats his question, allowing more anger to follow every word this time.

"Where. Is. She?"

"Wait, Piper's not with you two?"

Upon realizing there were only two prisoners - ex-prisoners now - that had walked out of the cells, the woman grabs Aerrow's arm and pulls him gently away from the Talon as her questioning eyes meet the ones of the sharpshooter.

"No, _he_ and two other Talons took her away hours ago. How long has it been anyway?"

Again, the Cyclonian starts to speak but this time more clearly.

"Sh-she's not he-here anym-more. D-d-dark A-ace took h-her to Terra P-pax la-last night."

* * *

Review... I know you want to


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

Terra Rex:

After hours of flying, the three Storm Hawks and Interceptor finally land on Terra Rex, the four of them quickly getting off the two rides and stretching their stiffened limbs. Wanting nothing more than to let himself fall onto his bed, Finn turns and walks towards the Condor only to be stopped by a Rex Guardian.

"Harrier wants to speak with you immediately. He says it's urgent."

"Aw man. Can't it wait till tomorrow? I'm tired."

The man holds up one hand to stop the sharpshooter from taking another step and his eyes land on the three people behind the blond.

"It's about the Storm Hawk's navigator. Please follow me. Your other teammates are already there."

Now completely awake, he lets his blue eyes move from person to person, taking in their emotions as he follows the man through the town and towards a big house.

Starling tries to show nothing on her face but she fails to hide the hint of worry within her green eyes.

Junko meets his gaze momentarily, the wallop unsure if he should feel happy or not at the man's words.

Aerrow stares straight forward, obviously not allowing himself to wonder if anything bad had happened to their friend.

Finn sighs. He knows what they feel can be found inside himself too - the worry, the uncertainty and the will to believe she is still all right.

As they enter the house, Harrier himself comes to greet them and then motions for them to follow him to a room at the far end of the hallway. A light-blue creature comes running through the door and down the hallway, jumping to Aerrow who welcomes his little friend with a small smile.

"Hey, buddy."

The room seems to be a medium-sized meeting room, a big table in the middle and chairs all around it. Only three people are in the room - a Rex Guardian, Stork and Raven - all sitting in silence at the table and only look up as the five people walk in.

"Storm Hawks - and Interceptor," he nods to Starling, "this is Jack." Gesturing to the Rex Guardian, he continues. "He is the one who bravely volunteered to go on the recon mission to Te-"

"We know where he went and why. Can we just get to the point?"

Harrier looks at Aerrow with a frown, the man obviously not happy with the teen's lack of patience. The Sky Knight's blue eyes meet the ones of his squadron member and the latter stands up from his seat, leans over the table and lays a few photos on the far end of it for the others to see. Finn picks up the one on top, staring at it in surprise, and Starling grabs the others, carefully looking at each in turn as the others gather around her to see.

'_No, it can't be...'_

Grabbing one of the photos from Starling's hands, the red-haired teen examines it further, trying to find something that could show it is not as it seems to be. To his dismay, the Piper in the picture looks exactly like the Piper he knows, except for her clothes, but even so, he continues to deny it.

'_It can't be her. It just can't. She would never do this.'_

Aerrow throws the picture onto the table in front of him and crosses his arms as he listens to Jack tell them what he saw on the terra: the people being forced to work on something unknown, the heavily guarded town, the two commanders... and Piper. As his last word dies out, the redhead's reaction are only two words, spoken in a low yet determined voice.

"He's lying."

They look at him surprised even though his words had been expected by some. The blond Sky Knight walks up to him, scowling, but the young man neither moves nor changes the determined expression on his face.

"Don't you dare accuse my teammate of lying."

"Then how come he can accuse _my_ teammate of betrayal?"

With one movement of her hand, Starling signals Harrier to not say another word and she steps forward, one of the photos in her hand.

"Aerrow, I know you don't want to believe this, but the evidences are clear. Didn't you wonder why she wasn't in Cyclonia when Junko and I came to free the three of you? And the Talon even said she was on Pax."

She hands him the photo but he doesn't look at it. He doesn't need to, not again.

"She wouldn't betray us no matter what Cyclonis would threaten to do to her."

"You've seen the photos, you've heard the report. Try to think rational for once!"

Harrier stares at the teen, trying to make him see the seemingly obvious.

"I am! If Piper's on that damn terra she's there as a prisoner, not as one of them!"

He turns around and storms out of the room, refusing to listen as Finn calls his name, asking him to stop.

'_I've already lost you once, Piper, and I'm not letting that happen again.'_

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Terra Cyclonia:

In a small closet in the palace of Cyclonia, a Talon finally gives up on shouting and banging on the door. Frowning in the dark, he sits down on the floor, back against the wall and stares at the door in front of him - if he could see the door, that is.

"Damn it! Why did they have to lock me up in a closet in a hallway people rarely walk through? It could be hours till someone finds me."

Hearing his stomach start to complain, he lays his arm over it as he mutters darkly.

"Oh, just great. Not only am I locked inside a small, dark closet but I will also most definitely miss dinner. Lucky me; if I don't die of boredom I will die of starvation. Stupid Storm Hawks..."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Piper:

_Memories._

_Something that happened in the past, something done and unchangeable, but also something that can be so valuable to every single person in one way or another; even the simplest of memories can be one of someone's most precious things. A father's smile, a mother's voice, a laugh from a friend... something you cherish because it gave you comfort, happiness. So why is it so easy to loose something so special?_

_Why did mine have to go away?_

_I don't remember anything that happened before I woke up today. I don't remember my father's eyes or my mother's embrace. I don't remember playing with my friends as a child... or if I had any friends at all. The only thing I remember now is what happened today - and remembering today is not something pleasant. Seeing those people's pain did not give me comfort or happiness. And it won't when I remember it later on, even though Dark Ace said we were doing something good. Now the shouts, the pained expression on their faces, the disbelief in their eyes are nothing but memories - memories I don't want to have._

_But I shouldn't feel sorry for the people of Atmos, should I? I shouldn't want to end their pain. Not after all they've done to us, to Cyclonia._

_And after all, it was an Atmosian who damaged my ride so I crashed in the Wastelands. It was one of them who made my memories vanish, leaving me empty inside. He didn't care whether I survived the crash or not. They are the bad guys, not us._

_But still... _

_What I saw today didn't seem right..._

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Terra Rex:

For hours, the Sky Knight doesn't move from the edge of the terra, his green eyes locked on another terra - a terra _his_ Piper is supposedly on. As the night comes, bringing black skies and bright stars, the terra disappears into the dark and only few crystal-powered lights manage to be seen by the teen and the furry co-pilot on his shoulder. With a silent sigh the teen stands up, casting one last glance at the lights in the distance before walking back to where Stork had landed the Condor.

They enter the silent ship and make their way towards the hallways, sure that everyone are already asleep and jump in surprise as a soft voice is heard behind them.

"Aerrow... You know we can't assume she's still one of us, not with evidence like that."

He doesn't need to turn around to know who it is; her voice is easily recognized.

"I know, Starling. It's just... I know she wouldn't do anything like that no matter what. I will agree with a plan that includes her with the Cyclonians but..." He turns, letting his eyes meet hers. "...can we try to get the terra back without hurting her? I know there's a possibility that Cyclonis did something to her to make her become one of her Talons but will you promise me we will try not to hurt her, no matter what she might do?"

"Aerrow, I-"

"Please. I can't bear to see one of my friends getting hurt, even though they had betrayed me. I..."

He looks away, his gaze landing on the floor. He tries to regain control over his mind but his thoughts keep coming and going as they please. After a moment of silence, the redhead turns away from the older Sky Knight, emerald still staring at the floor, and he walks slowly through the door, heading for his room.

"Let's try; I don't want her to get more hurt than she already has."

Her green eyes follow him until she can no longer see him, a sad expression appearing on her face.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Piper - A dream:

"_Piper..."_

_Wide-eyed, the girl looks around her, searching for the sad voice's owner in the dimly lit place. Seeing no one, she pushes the thought away and slowly starts walking, trying to figure out where she is._

"_Why did you do this to us, Piper?"_

_Feeling slightly alarmed, she shouts at the invisible person, her voice echoing in the distance._

"_I didn't do anything!"_

"_I didn't want to believe him when he told us... told me you betrayed us... betrayed me..."_

_Again, she sees no one as she turns in a circle, searching. _

"_Please tell me he's wrong. Tell me you didn't do it."_

_Her fear grows and so does the sound of her voice as she shouts out again._

"_I haven't done anything! I don't even know who you are! Just leave me alone!"_

"_I trusted you, Pi-"_

"_Leave me alone!"_

_She turns around, her hands over her ears as she tries to block out the bodiless voice, and she starts to run. After few minutes of running around aimlessly, she moves her hands from her head, positive the person is no longer close enough for her to hear his words. A small smile of success appears on her face and for a moment, she doesn't pay attention to the ground in front of her. Tripping over something - a rock, possibly - she closes her eyes as her body hits the ground; the girl uses her arms to break most of the fall._

_Slowly, she lifts herself up with her arms, moving into a sitting position and takes a look at her new cuts. Finding them to be nothing serious, she moves to stand up but stops as she finally notices a pair of legs in front of her._

"_Here, let me help you."_

_Her eyes widen again as she recognizes the voice from before and she looks at the hand reaching out to her, wondering about the sudden change in the sound of the voice. He doesn't sound sad anymore but concerned instead. Hesitantly, she takes his hand and allows him to help her, straightening herself and looking directly at his face, which is slightly bent down, his eyes hidden from her view by his red hair._

"_Who are you?" she demands, pulling her hand from his. "What do you want from me?"_

_He looks at her, meeting her eyes with his, and she takes a step backwards in some sort of surprise. She watches his green eyes widen and he reaches out his hand towards her shoulder._

"_What happened to you?"_

_The young woman tries say something to his question, tries to ask him what he means, but something else attempts to escape from her mouth, wanting to be heard by the two teens. A word, a name, but as her lips part in order to form that name, a name she somehow knows is his, he disappears, leaving her in darkness. _

-- --

She bolts up in her bed, panting. Slowly calming down, she shuts her eyes and tries to remember his name, the name she had almost said. Holding back of a cry of frustration, she throws the covers to the side and leaves the bed. She can't remember the name, she barely remembers the dream, and she sighs as she unwillingly lets go of it, feeling it fade away in her mind. Her bare feet stop in front of the closet and as she opens it, her lips form a small, sad smile.

Even though it isn't much, at least she remembers something.

His eyes.

His beautiful, emerald eyes.

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